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Littleton's big man

McLaughlin starring on mound and at the plate (VIDEO)

By David Pevear, dpevear@lowellsun.com

Updated:
05/16/2013 11:26:23 AM EDT

LITTLETON -- He knows what it feels like to throw four touchdown passes in a game, to run for three touchdowns in a game, to pitch a no-hitter, to hit home runs, to taste small-town athletic glory in the Massachusetts heartland.

What Alex McLaughlin does not know yet is which sport he should play in the wide and specialized world of collegiate athletics beyond all the fun and glory at Littleton High.

One senses this 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior's real passion is Friday nights in the fall. Last fall, McLaughlin's football coach, Mike Lynn, called his quarterback "potentially the most complete player" he has coached in his 11 seasons so far at Littleton.

Alex McLaughlin of Littleton High fires a pitch to an Ayer-Shirley batter during action earlier this spring. He threw a no-hitter that afternoon. SUN/DAVID H. BROW

As a sophomore, McLaughlin passed for 1,624 yards and 19 touchdowns, and ran for 770 yards and 14 more scores, all this despite missing a game and a half with a foot injury. The Tigers reached the Central Mass. Division 6 playoffs for the sixth straight year.

"Well, I know he probably wouldn't like hearing me say this. But I think baseball is his better sport," says Ryan Sullivan, a senior, who caught seven touchdown passes last fall and is also McLaughlin's teammate in basketball and baseball. "He is an awesome quarterback, though."

He is asked whether he feels the greatest excitement when throwing a touchdown pass, running for a touchdown, pitching a no-hitter or hitting a home run.

"The no-hitter (with 15 strikeouts against Ayer-Shirley on May 1) was probably the coolest, because it was the most spread-out, the longest duration of time," says McLaughlin, whose father Richard was a baseball standout at Lexington High. "But I don't know. You can't really beat running for a touchdown.

"I'll go with the no-hitter, though," he adds, smiling.

Littleton High baseball coach Mike Smith speaks of a hitter who "definitely has speed and pop," and of a right-handed pitcher clocked at 85 miles-per-hour by a local gentleman who drops by with a radar gun. McLaughlin could certainly play Division 2 college baseball, Smith feels.

McLaughlin on Wednesday pitched only the first two innings of a 6-3 victory over Tahanto, striking out five batters. He is 5-0 on the mound this season, 15-2 for his career. He has started for Littleton High since he was a freshman. A shortstop when not pitching, McLaughlin is batting over .450 with three homers for the 12-2 Tigers.

Littleton's home field has no outfield fence. That has cost McLaughlin and his teammates a few big flies. McLaughlin's touchdown legs, though, serve him well on gap shots. His teammate Sullivan, a slugging first baseman, jokes, "A fence is a bit expensive, so we deal with the line-drive homers."

McLaughlin's speed and pop also translate well to tougher competition.

Last summer he played third base and fared well with the traditionally strong Sudbury Post 191 American Legion baseball team.

"He surprised me. I thought we were getting this little kid from Littleton High and Mid-Wach D. He's probably one of the best third basemen we've had in several years," says Sudbury coach Len Noce. "If he were a junior (last summer), he would have been recruited with the year he had."

"It was a good experience," says McLaughlin. "Obviously it was a lot harder competition than (high school). It was fun, though. It was good to know where I'm at with those kids."

Accustomed to being The Man at Littleton in football and baseball, McLaughlin served as a valuable role player on the Tigers' basketball team that reached the Division 3 Central Mass. final this past season.

"Ryan Sullivan and Chris Murray are two very good basketball players who were fun to watch," says McLaughlin, who had played basketball as a freshman, but not as a sophomore.

"For a guy who is used to being in the center of all the action, he did a great job (adjusting) and did a great job for us," says Littleton High basketball coach Mike Lombard. "He started playing (last) summer and developed into a sixth man coming off the bench, and a spot starter. He's a special athlete."

A special athlete who is looking toward a busy summer. The Sudbury Legion team would like McLaughlin back. He has a job lined up for this summer with a pool maintenance company. And he expects Littleton to fare well in its seven-on-seven passing league at Lincoln-Sudbury.

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